Surprises at Northwest Comic Fest 2015

Alba Garcia-Rivas

One of the best things about comic conventions is that you never know what you are going to see or experience. At Northwest Comic Fest, I was lucky enough to pass by the Salem Geeks Speak booth while Svengali was looking at Bob Foster’s sketchbook.

The Holy Grail

Foster has had 40 years of experience working in the animation field. He has met people like Roy O. Disney, Carl Barks, Friz Freleng Ward Kimball and Walter Lantz. Anyone who watched Saturday morning cartoons or read comic books will know who these people are. The special thing about Foster’s sketchbook is that he asked everyone he met to autograph it, and many of the cartoonists and animators did more than just sign it. They drew in it.

It is amazing to have that kind of personal connection with the people who formed a large part of my childhood. Being able to see that sketchbook is a special experience that may never happen to me again. I just imagine 50 years from now where that book might be, and I hope that it is preserved for future generations. However, the best part of the experience was that Foster shared the book without fear of it being ruined. He not only took joy in it, but he also took joy in the sharing of it. (And I got to ride on Svengali’s coattails as he flipped through the pages!)

The End of the Fest

At the end of any convention, there is a time when it just seems like it is time to go home. You have walked a lot, you excitement has been high, and the adrenaline is in the process of wearing off. As much as you don’t want it to be over, you think, “I’m just not going to get any more out of this.” I had reached that point on Sunday, and I was content with my experience. However, I had to stay to see if I won any prizes in the raffle (I did), and the announcement was made that the “Time Space Reflections” panel would be held at 5 p.m.

I decide that I would stay for the panel. It would give me one more thing to write about, and it wasn’t really going to cost me any extra time to get to the panel room. Besides, I like the idea of time and space, so the panel sounded intriguing just from the title. I did not realize that I would see one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. The mood was tender, the sentiment was right, and the whole experience was the essence of art – quite a lot to pack into 8 minutes. Time Space Reflections is a stop motion animation film by Alba Garcia-Rivas. She was at the panel as well.

The unpredictability and the surprises are the best features of any good convention, and Northwest Comic Fest had its share.